In Why Beethoven Threw the Stew, renowned cellist Steven Isserlis sets out to pass on to children a wonderful gift given to him by his own cello teacher - the chance to people his own world with the great composers by getting to know them as friends. Witty and informative at the same time, Isserlis introduces us to six of his favorite composers: the sublime genius Bach, the quicksilver Mozart, Beethoven with his gruff humor, the shy Schumann, the prickly Brahms and that extraordinary split personality, Stravinsky. Isserlis brings the composers alive in an irresistible manner that can't...

What did Haydn's wife use for curling-paper for her hair? What did Schubert do with his old spectacles case? Why was Dvorak given a butcher's apron when he was a little boy? Why did Tchaikovsky spit on a map of Europe? Addressing these questions, this work contains facts, dates and anecdotes, interspersed with black-and-white line illustrations.

'No musician or music lover should be without it.' BBC Music MagazineRobert Schumann was far ahead of his time: his music anticipated a multitude of trends that would spread in the 150 years after his death, and almost every major composer who followed him acknowledged his influence.